Sunday, November 23, 2014

Weekly update: Catch us if you can!

To see our whole weight loss journey, click here.

Today Shane and I did something that I NEVER thought we'd be able to do...

WE RAN A 10K / 6.2 MILES!!!!

Shane and I participated in the Farm Bureau Holiday 5k and 10k put on by the Robertson County YMCA. It was the third race in a three-race bundle we purchased through the Y. We had originally planned on doing the 5k but decided at last minute to go for it and do the 10k. Our training plan had us doing a 6 mile run this weekend anyways so it really worked out. It was quite a drive to get there, but the course was really pretty, so that made it all worth it. 


Just two weeks ago I was struggling to run a 5k, but the marathon training has really helped. I'm not going to lie, when I have to run my next 3 mile training run on Tuesday, I'm probably still going to struggle a bit. I'm not a great runner by any means. It's just like that time I took a couple hot yoga classes...it's hard to motivate yourself to go, and it's really rough to make it through, but you feel magical after it's over. It helps to think back on past successes to help motivate yourself through the next run. I'll just have to remind myself that I've done it once and I should be able to do it again. 

I tried using an iPod Shuffle for music today instead of taking my phone. I normally stream Pandora and GPS track my run, but that's a lot of unnecessary data usage. The Shuffle worked out nicely, except I realized that most of the music in my library is way too slow for running. I'm going to have to do some major iTunes shopping before next time. 

Our finish times were amazing (for us). Shane finished in 1hr 3 min / 5th in his age group and I finished in 1 hr 12 min / 7th in my age group. The winner finished the run in 38 minutes which is just insane, but I'm also kinda jealous and hope that's us someday. It would be nice to at least place because they're always giving out goody bags that look fun. 

We're already super excited for our next run. There's a Santa themed run we're thinking of doing in December with some of our family and it looks pretty festive and fun. We're going to have to opt for a 5k for this next race, since we're not quite ready for a 1/2 marathon yet. Instead of distance, we'll get to work on our speed. 

I'm really excited to see where this marathon training takes us. It's not going to be easy, and we're probably going to have some setbacks. But we're going to try, and that's what counts. 

Monday, November 10, 2014

Weekly Update: The Training Begins...

To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

You're only young once, right? So what better time to train for a marathon? 


Shane and I went through the Couch 2 5k training program months ago but haven't really kept up with our running as much as we should. The last 5k we attempted was The Great Pumpkin Run at Shuckle's Corn Maze. While a run through a corn maze sounds exciting and fall-ish, it's a little more tough than we planned. I mean they don't just set you loose in the corn and expect you to find your way out -- the path is clearly marked -- but it's hard to keep going when you are twisting and turning around and around a hundred thousand times. 

I was seeing mostly-straight by this point. 

Shane was an insane person and chose the Tough Pumpkin option. See that larger pumpkin in his hands in the photo above? He had to carry that throughout the whole course. 



Don't we make cute farm animals?
We are now following the Hal Higdon Novice 1 - 18 week program. With any luck, we'll be ready to race a 1/2 marathon sometime around January and finished with the training in time to race a full marathon just in time for the Nashville Rock and Roll Marathon at the end of April.  

Sunday was day 1 of the training, and we successfully completed a 3 mile run!! And with a pretty decent time too, keeping a 12:30 mile pace. I honestly didn't think I'd make it even 2 miles...I am so proud of Shane and myself! After we finished the run, Shane thanked me for motivating him and keeping him going, which is funny because his running motivated me and kept me running! 

I've got two more 3 mile runs and a 6 mile run by the end of this week, so wish me luck! I never thought I'd be able to run, and I've surprised myself so far. I'm not at all sure that I'll make it a whole 26.2 miles, but I'm sure gonna try. 


Sunday, November 2, 2014

We're baaaack!

To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

It has been an embarrassingly long time since my last weigh-in post, actually three whole months. I've gotten a bit too comfortable with my diet and treating WAY too much...we're talking occasional candy, cookies, breakfast from McDonald's once...it's a slippery slope, y'all. They say you can't outrun your diet, and they're right. Treats every now and then are okay, but not every single day, multiple times a day. Shane and I have been working out nearly every day, but if I don't get myself under control, I'm going to start giving in to soda cravings or worse! 

Me and Shane after an intense workout at the YMCA

The GOOD news is that even with all this food business, I'm pretty much maintaining my weight (currently sitting at 179, which is 47 pounds lost and 52.2% of my weight loss goal), and my body shape is changing! The weight lifting is working, hallelujah! I am looking better in my clothes, and I even bought a size 10, yes 10!!, pair of pants at Old Navy the other day. Okay so they are "boyfriend" cut pants so they're meant to be a little looser than regular pants, but I'm still calling that a big win. Considering I started out this year wearing a 14 but really needing a 16, I'd say I'm doing just fine. 

In other news, with the changing seasons, Shane and I have started to realize how scant our clothing choices are. Sure I have tank tops and shorts for days, but that doesn't help in 50 degree weather. A shopping trip was in order, where Shane made a big revelation: 


That he's lost a lot of weight! He even bought a couple of button-up flannels in size LARGE! It's the first time he's bought a size large since middle school, so this is a huge deal. I am so proud of him! We both stocked up on some winter essentials, and our YMCA is happy that we're bringing so many warm clothes for their winter clothing drive. I actually had to buy all new coats last year because mine wouldn't zip, and now this year, they looked like I was wearing trash bags. Shane looked like a kid wearing his dad's jackets in his. 

I'm also pretty pleased with myself for my progress from last Halloween to this Halloween. This time last year I was so resolved that I was fat and I was always going to be fat, and I'd probably get more fat and that seemed unavoidable. I even got rid of most of my "for when I'm skinny" clothes because I thought I'd never fit into them again. I WAS SO WRONG! I was acting like a blameless victim when I was the culprit. No one made me fat or shoved french fries down my throat, I was doing that to myself. This year I've worked hard to try and take control of my health, and in turn, my happiness. And instead of trying to hide my body in a shapeless Halloween costume, I went for a short dress with NO sleeves! And I personally think I looked pretty cute!



While I have slipped up and allowed more treats into my life, I don't ever want to allow those sort of thoughts back into my life. As we're getting into the holiday season, the typical "dieter's nightmare", Shane and I are recommitting ourselves to our lifestyle change. We are starting a new weightlifting routine to kick up our game and I'm getting strict on my calories again, because it works and my progress so far is proof of that. 

I'm not going to focus on the weigh-in portion so much in future posts like I did in previous posts because now that we're weightlifting, the number on the scale won't really show our progress. I will continue to post training updates, progress pictures, things I find motivational, etc. 

And if you'd like to join me on my weight loss journey, which I would absolutely LOVE!,  add me on myfitnesspal! My username is lehorner6. 



Monday, October 13, 2014

We survived TomorrowWorld 2014!

Shane found out about the TomorrowWorld electronic music festival in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, a few years ago and was immediately OBSESSED. The original Tomorrowland festival has been going strong in Belgium since 2005, and when they came to the US in 2013 he tried his hardest to convince me that we should go. With budget constraints and a host of other concerns, we decided it was best to stay home. 

He brought it up again at the beginning of this year when tickets were about to go on sale and asked could we please please please go this time? I was skeptical for several reasons: 

Neither of us had ever been to a music festival before. TW was billed to be a full three days (five days if you camp in DreamVille) of absolute madness. That's a lot to wrap your head around. 

I hate camping. Port-a-potties are a certain fate, as is the fact that showers would be few and far between (my hatred of camping stems from my hatred of being dirty).

Considering the show is at the end of September in Georgia, the weather could be freezing, absolutely scorching, or a mix of the two.

Tickets are expensive. To get the full experience, you really need to camp in DreamVille rather than stay at a hotel. DreamVille isn't terrible price-wise, but you have to bring all your own camping gear, and we don't own any. We looked into the DreamVille Easy Tent upgrade package which comes with a souvenir tent, air mattress, sleeping bags, and a lantern, all set up in a special Easy Tent area, but it was a good bit more expensive than the regular DreamVille.

Against my better judgment, I gave my thumbs-up and we pressed the "BUY NOW" button on that fateful February morning...

...THEN WE HAD THE BEST TIME OF OUR LIVES!!!

Saturday at the Main Stage
Shane is still washing pink powder out of his hair!

I'll admit, most all of my fears came true, but it didn't spoil the experience in the least.

1. We'd never been to a festival before: We met a lot of people who were shocked we chose such a large festival (in 2013 they reported nearly 130,000 in attendance and 30,000 camped in DreamVille) as our first, as it can be pretty overwhelming for most people, especially newbies. Thankfully neither of us are bothered by crowds, because boy were there crowds! People drove across continents (we heard one group drove from Brazil!) and flew around the world just to be there. The whole place had the best vibe of being one big, happy, global community...and we were all there to party!

Thursday / Night 1: DreamVille Gathering
We were also really lucky too because the whole time we were there, no one messed with our stuff. Our Easy Tent came with a lock but we made sure not to leave valuables in there anyways. Our festival bracelets had RFID chips in them which you could load with festival tokens, the currency of the realm, so we were able to leave our wallets, car keys, and cell phones in the $60 5-day festival locker we purchased. We only carried one phone between the two of us for pictures and left the other in the locker to charge. That's not to say there wasn't theft at the event (for example, one girl had a fanny pack but was wearing it turned around on her back...so it was a bright red target and got unzipped while in the middle of the crowd).

2. Port-a-potties, showers, and general cleanliness: Being dirty makes me unhappy, so you can see where this might have been my downfall. We knew the Easy Tent package we splurged on had a separate bathroom area, we didn't know that it would have portable, air conditioned bathroom trailers that were cleaned constantly. While we were at the festival grounds, I was so happy to find some port-a-potties that even flushed! Even the few rare times I had to use a standard portable, you could tell they were cleaned as often as possible. I NEVER went into any toilet that didn't have toilet paper, which is a miracle unto itself. I'm not saying you could eat off the port-a-potty floor or anything, but the bathroom attendants did a fantastic job and I was always pleasantly surprised by the facilities. BONUS: The longest I ever waited to get into a toilet was 1-2 minutes, another miracle!

Freshen Up stations + short hair = clean hair 
The Easy Tent area also had it's own FREE showers (regular DreamVille had to pay 2 tokens / $4.44 per shower). The line for the showers was understandably really long during peak hours, but later in the evening you could walk right in. I'll let you in on a little secret though...the whole time we were there, I didn't shower! And I lived! Even though I hate being dirty, I'm also not very patient when it comes to waiting in line, so I did just fine by washing my newly-short hair (thanks Hannah!) in the sink at the Freshen Up station and using the giant pack of baby wipes I brought to scrub the dirt off my appendages several times daily.

Bandanas are a must, breathing dust is no fun! 
3. This is Georgia in September. How do you pack for that?: The weather was pretty much perfect the whole time we were there. It was overcast most of the time, and I was fine in shorts and a tank top for daytime + being in the crowd at a stage (it gets HOT when you get close to the front) and a light jacket + sweatpants for early morning / night. I saw a lot of people wearing long pants and long sleeves during the day who were absolutely roasting.

Thursday / Night 1: DreamVille Gathering
Also, our whole pack of glowsticks broke on the way in.

4. Tickets are expensive, especially if you go for DreamVille + upgrades: Okay, so the tickets were expensive, but seriously those fancy bathrooms were more than worth it. I really do feel like we got the best experience possible by choosing the Easy Tents. We could've done day passes + hotel, but then you don't get to make friends with your tent neighbors, plus once you arrive at the show you're stuck there for the day, there was no same day re-entry for those who weren't camping. Regular DreamVille had to lug all their camping gear for a mile or more to grab a first-come, first-serve, tightly packed camping spot, then set up all your gear. Our Easy Tent was already set up with the others into labeled, easy to navigate rows. We were able to enter and exit the festival as many times as we wanted, which meant we could come back to our tent to sit down, nap, grab a snack or meal from the food we'd brought, etc., then go back for more of the madness at our leisure.

Me with two of our tent neighbors. 
The tents were small, but we managed. 
DreamVille Easy Tents...just part of them.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Can you believe I've written this much and haven't even made it to the MUSIC yet?!

Between the seven, yes, SEVEN, different amazing stages, they had pretty much every type of electronic music you can imagine played by hundreds of DJs. Each stage had it's own awesome vibe. These stages are extremely elaborate too, each with a different theme.

Our favorite stage, the It's A Trap! stage
Mythical Frames stage
The MASSIVE Main Stage. See that white awning towards the middle?
That's the DJ booth.
Oh, and the stage is a volcano that shoots flames and smoke at every set change. 
We learned really quickly on the first day that it's easy to get caught up in in the environment and want to run around to every stage for hours and hours and hours and see every DJ whose name you might've heard before and dance and dance and dance and then go to the next stage, rinse, repeat. You get REALLY worn out this way though, and at the end of the first night, we were ready for bed, bodies aching at 10:00. We sat down on a hill and tried to hold out as long as we could, which was 10 minutes into that night's headliner, and then trudged back to our tent. After that, we made sure to sit down every chance we got, for as long as possible, and to go back to our tent several times a day to relax. And yeah, you're probably going to miss some good DJs this way, because they're all good, but then the ones you see, you'll actually have energy and will be able to enjoy it more.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Yesterday is history. Today is a gift. Tomorrow is mystery.
Might as well enjoy it while you can!!

All in all, we had an absolutely fantastic time. I am so glad Shane convinced me to go. We met some really cool people, saw some crazy costumes and outfits, ate some tasty festival food, and heard some awesome electronic music. We didn't take a ton of pictures or videos because we were too busy having fun, but I did manage to put together a short video to share a little bit of our experience. Enjoy! And if you want to join us at TomorrowWorld 2015, we'd be happy to carpool! 


Sunday, August 3, 2014

Weekly weigh in + Oh sh*t, we were fat!

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

My progress: I've maintained since last weigh in for a total of 42lbs lost...I'm now at 184lbs.
46.7% of my goal complete!

Shane's progress: He's gained 4lbs since last weigh in for a total of 44lbs lost...he's at 265lbs.
35.2% of his goal complete. 

Shane and I aren't making much progress watching the numbers on the scale move down, but we are making a ton of progress in the gym. Our weight might not reflect it, but our bodies are definitely slimming down as we gain muscle. If you missed it last week, I've gone from someone with the upper body strength of a baby hamster to someone who can do a real pushup x 15! I honestly never thought the day would come when I could do ONE pushup, much less 15 on my first real try. 

It's really funny how things work out sometime. Shane and I both kind of independently had an "oh sh*t, I was SO fat!" moment today. Mine came when a friend commented on an old facebook picture today. It was actually one of the pictures from my very first weight loss post but I hadn't looked at it in months and was absolutely shocked. The picture in question is from September 2011 and I honestly don't know how much I weighed at this point other than it was somewhere near 200 and it WASN'T my highest weight. Here is a side-by-side comparison of me from 2011 and me from today. 


Shane's moment came from logging into his MyFitnessPal account on his computer for the first time in a long time rather than on his phone. When he saw his profile picture, which he took around January at the beginning of our weight loss, his jaw almost hit the floor. I had to take the after picture just to show him how different he looked from the before picture. 


We both have a long way to go, but I am so proud of us for sticking with it this far. I can't believe the amazing changes we've made so far in ourselves. I can hardly believe this part myself but we've even started working out at 6 am like crazy people instead of waiting until we come home from work, and it feels amazing. I've never been a morning person but I think I may convert because working out just gets me pumped up and ready for the day. I am actually disappointed when I have to leave the gym and go to work because I get so much energy I just wanna stay and lift weights all day. Plus now when we get home from work, we actually have time to cook dinner, clean, grocery shop, do laundry, all that fun stuff, instead of waiting until the weekend. 

If you're reading this right now and you want to make a lifestyle change like we have, the best time to start is now. Don't wait until next week or next month, just do it now. I'm not saying you have to try and kick a food addiction cold turkey or start working out two hours a day...but maybe tell yourself you'll only drink ONE soda today, or walk around the block after dinner instead of sitting right down to watch tv. My only regret in all of this is that we waited so long to take charge of our bodies and our lives. To quote Drake and The Lonely Island, "YOLO."  You might as well enjoy the body you've got while you've got it! So what are you waiting for? 


  

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Weekly weigh in

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

My progress: I've lost 1lb since last weigh in for a total of 42lbs lost...I'm now at 184lbs.
46.7% of my goal complete!

Shane's progress: He's lost 2lbs since last weigh in for a total of 48lbs lost...he's at 261lbs.
38.4% of his goal complete. 


We've done pretty good with our workout routine, going to the gym almost every day of the week. Shane is starting phase two of the Shortcut to Size program this week, and I'm going strong on the Labrada 12 Week Lean Body Training program. We generally spend 4-5 days per week weightlifting, and we also work some cardio in there. Shane made up a HIIT (high intensity interval traning) cardio circuit for us to do this Saturday morning...it is Sunday night and I am STILL sore. The picture above was taken right after I finished. It only took me 20 minutes and it's hard to tell from the picture but I was absolutely dripping with sweat when we were done. That's how you know it was a good workout! Also, I'm really proud of this accomplishment...I actually did a whole real push up, and then four more. I did a total of 15 push ups when the workout was through, and that's probably why my arms are so sore, but I did them!

I know I have a long way to go before I reach my goal, but it really blows my mind that I've lost over 40 pounds already! I never thought of myself as being as big as I actually got to be, I was smaller in my mind. Now that I'm a bit smaller, it's like the opposite has happened, I think of myself as bigger than I am. I grabbed a t-shirt out of my closet this morning and thought "oh that's not going to fit, looks like it shrank way small in the dryer." Well guess what...the shirt fits and it's not even tight! 

I've recently traded in my way too big work clothes for some much nicer and smaller ones. I was still wearing size 16 pants that almost dropped to the floor when I stood...can't believe I used to have to squeeze myself in them and hope the buttons wouldn't pop off! I've replaced them with a size 12 that actually fits. Do you remember the rather rude guy from my work who never has anything nice to say? See here and here if you have no idea what I'm talking about. I was wearing my new clothes the other day and that guy asked if I'd lost weight. When I said I'd lost nearly 40 pounds, his jaw hit the floor, and even told me that he was "embarrassed" that he hadn't noticed before. I almost passed out from the shock of him being so nice to me. He continued to congratulate me every time he saw me throughout the day. 

While we're doing great with the working out portion, we've stalled on the food bit. I'm finding myself splurging more and more, and I've got to rein that back in. I realized the other day that it has been almost exactly six months since Shane and I made the commitment to ourselves to lose weight and get in shape. This is the longest we've ever stuck with something like this before, and I don't intend to give up now. I am skinner now than I have been since I graduated Tech in 2010...that's just crazy! I would absolutely love to push myself now and reach my goal by (or shortly after) my birthday in January. I told myself I'd lose weight at 25, then made it all the way to 26 without making a single change. But by the time I make it to 27, I could be in the absolute best shape of my entire life. 

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Weekly weigh in + Happy 4th of July!

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.


I'm back from a short hiatus and better than ever. Shane and I had a big two weeks. We have both been working on our new, more intense weightlifting routines. We ran a 5k. We joined a DietBet. And we hosted an awesome 4th of July party! But more on that in a minute...let's get down to business with our weigh in:


My progress: I've lost 3lbs since last weigh in in for a total of 41lbs lost...I'm now at 185lbs.
45.6% of my goal complete!

Shane's progress: He's lost 2lbs since last weigh in in for a total of 46lbs lost...he's at 263lbs.
36.8% of his goal complete. 



We ran in the YMCA Firecracker 5k on July 4th and had an awesome time. I am so proud to report that I ran THE WHOLE WAY without stopping once! When I started the Couch to 5k program earlier in the year, I seriously thought I was going to fall dead of a heart attack after a 30 second run. And I ran for 3.1 miles in 35 minutes! I'm not going to be winning any land speed races any time soon, but I made it through to the end and I couldn't be happier. I am so proud of Shane too, he finished the race a whole 4 minutes faster than me and clocked in at 31 minutes! 

If you've ever pondered the idea of becoming a runner or just need a way to get in shape (don't we all)...I can't recommend the Couch to 5k training program enough. It's not always easy, but anything worth having is worth the work, and this is worth it. Working to become more fit has changed my life in so many ways already, and I can't wait to see where it all takes me. You should totally try it, because if I can become a "runner", anyone can. 

Shane and I have also joined a DietBet to help keep us motivated, specifically the Shays Father-Son SummerShapeUp. Shay Carl Butler, the host of the challenge, is a YouTuber (see his main channel here: Shaytards) who films videos with his wife, five kids, and various other family members...and who Shane is absolutely obsessed with. Shay Carl lost a lot of weight a couple years ago and has since hosted several DietBets to help motivate his viewers to do the same.  In case you're unfamiliar with the DietBet website and/or app, you join a challenge for a fee (in this case $30 each) with other DietBetters, and by the end of the specified amount of time, if you didn't reach the fitness goal you lose your money, but if you DID reach the goal, you get to split the pot of money with all the other winners. In this bet, we have 28 days to lose 4% body weight (for me, that's 7.5 lbs). There are currently 1,292 players and a pot of $38,760! If we win, we are liable to get a nice chunk of money. 

Last but certainly not least, this year Shane and I hosted our 4th Annual Elliott and Horner Family and Friends 4th of July Extravaganza. We are so lucky to have family near enough to come and visit us occasionally, and we always have a great time cooking out and shooting off fireworks. This year was extra-special because it was the one year anniversary of becoming homeowners! It seems like just yesterday that we moved in, and we still have so many things we want to work on. I'll work on getting some updated pictures on here for y'all too, because there are a lot of things we've done since this post last year. 

Check out the video below to see just how much fun we had! I'm already planning for the 5th Annual party next year :)






Monday, June 30, 2014

Weekly weigh in

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

My progress: I've lost 2lbs since last week in for a total of 38lbs lost...I'm now at 188lbs.
42.2% of my goal complete!

Shane's progress: He's lost 1lb since last week in for a total of 44lbs lost...he's at 265lbs.
35.2% of his goal complete. 


We have to wear blazers to work every day now...so I'm glad I'm losing the weight for sure. The less insulation I have to carry around, the better. 

We've been sticking with our weight lifting routine and just finished the initial 8 week beginner training program, yay! Shane has a new routine he's following, which includes protein shakes, and I'm following a more moderate routine without the shakes. I just can't handle the thought of choking down lumpy protein powder, even though Shane reassures me it's not so bad. 

We're doing the Firecracker 5k this Friday for the 4th of July and I'm so excited! After the Color Me Rad 5k, I really feel like I'm gonna knock this one out of the park, and I'm sure Shane will be running circles around me. Our annual family 4th of July cookout is on Friday too, an I think my parents and sister are coming Thursday night, so they'll be able to come cheer us on at the finish line! 

I'm getting really excited for the cookout, but we have a lot of planning to do! We're gonna have a bigger crowd than normal, but the more the merrier, right?

Monday, June 23, 2014

Weekly weigh in!

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

My progress: I've lost 1lb since last week in for a total of 36lbs lost...I'm now at 190lbs.
40% of my goal complete!

Shane's progress: He's lost 2lbs since last week in for a total of 43lbs lost...he's at 266lbs.
34.4% of his goal complete. 


I've had an absolutely AMAZING week! 

I hit 40% of my goal complete. I'm really getting there and making awesome progress. 

My BMI (body mass index) is now officially just "overweight" instead of "obese". OMG! 

Oh yeah, and did I mention I ran a 5k this weekend?! We did the Color Me Rad 5k at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds here in Nashville. 

Before 
You start out wearing white, and with the help of colored cornstarch and colored water, you end up a walking or running rainbow by the end. 

We went last year by ourselves and had just an okay time. 


This year we went with our friends Julie Ann, Manuel and Carlena and had an AWESOME time! We got together the day before and made tshirts that said "First things first I'm the RADDEST" playing off the lyrics in Iggy Azaela's song "Fancy."


 We all had a blast, and I'm really proud of myself for how much I was able to run. 


And you KNOW it took a lot of scrubbing to get all that color off!

After
We all agreed that this is going to become an annual thing and we're ready to get RAD again next year. You're all welcome to join in on the fun :) 

Shane and I can't wait for our next 5k...the YMCA Mid TN Firecracker 5k on the 4th of July! 


Monday, June 16, 2014

Weekly weigh in

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

My progress: I've lost 1lb since last week in for a total of 35lbs lost...I'm now at 191lbs.
38.9% of my goal complete. 

Shane's progress: He's gained 2lbs since last week in for a total of 41lbs lost...he's at 268lbs.
32.8% of his goal complete. 


We're soooo close to our first 5k of the summer, just a few more days until the Color Me Rad 5k on Sunday! Shane hasn't been running for nearly a week because his Achilles has been acting up and really bothering him. He's hoping that resting before the race will help him make it through. I'm hoping that the race will jumpstart my efforts and really kick my butt back in gear! Shane and I are just doing okay...we're mostly still losing, but we've gotten lazy. It would be awesome if I could meet my weight loss goal by the end of the year, but I'm going to really have to work for it! 

We spent the weekend in Knoxville for Father's Day. I was proud of myself because I stayed away from my in-laws' pantry full of snack food, except for one small handful of Cheez Its. I used to be addicted to those things, and Shane and I could go through a big box in just a day or two. After the one handful, I realized they didn't even taste that great to me anymore. We did good too, we packed our workout clothes and went for a quick workout at the Knoxville YMCA on Saturday morning. It's not always easy to stay active but I definitely feel better after a workout. 

I did have an awesome surprise this weekend. Shane and I went to Old Navy because they were having a big sale on workout clothes, and what do you know they were also doing 50% off on shorts. I tried on a pair in my usual size (14) and they were WAY TOO BIG! I started off this year wearing a 16 but probably needing an 18 most days. Now I own a pair of size 12 shorts...and they fit! I bought a few (size large) tank tops too because they were cute, on sale, and I didn't feel embarrassed of my arms when I put them on. While I love my new shorts and tank tops, I wanna keep going and see just how awesome I feel when they're way too big :)

And just because I want to brag on her...I got to go visit my sister at her brand new first salon job ever! Yay! She's been doing my hair for a while now because I'm always happy to be her guinea pig, but it was so nice to have her cut my hair in a salon rather than my parents' bathroom. She seems like she's really enjoying her job too, which is great. They stay really busy because they're in a shopping center right next to a Starbucks and a Salsarita's, so she's going to get tons and tons of practice. 


I'm off to get a good night's sleep for work tomorrow, and am looking forward to a big workout and run tomorrow night. Cross your fingers for me, because with this race looming, if there was a time for me to twist an ankle, you know it'll be now. 

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Weekly weigh in

To see all past weigh ins, click here. To see my whole weight loss journey, click here.

My progress: I've maintained since last week in for a total of 34lbs lost...I'm now at 192lbs.
37.7% of my goal complete. 

Shane's progress: He's lost 3lbs since last week in for a total of 43lbs lost...he's at 266lbs.
34.4% of his goal complete. 

Pardon Shane's crazy hair.
Don't worry, he doesn't go out in public like that ;)
This week has been a weird week for me. At work we had a lot of changes happen in a very short period of time...new owners, new managers, new ways of doing EVERYTHING. They also brought in lunch on Thursday and bagels twice. With all the food just laying around and the crazy amount of stuff that changed, I'm surprised I didn't gain 5lbs from all the stress-eating I did. 

In other news, Shane and I ran outside (instead of on the indoor track or treadmill at the YMCA) for the first time in a while this week. Shane did 6.5 miles today and I did nearly 3. It's definitely harder to run without your own personal fan and a TV screen right in front of your face, but this will help us train for the Color Me Rad 5k which is coming up in less than two weeks. I entirely expect the weather to be scorching that day, so I'd best prep now so I don't have a heat stroke while covered in brightly colored cornstarch. 

We also signed up for an awesome three race series deal through the YMCA. You get to choose three of their six upcoming area 5ks to participate in for only $60/person! We've signed up to do the Firecracker 5k on July 4th as our first race, as well as the East Nashville Tomato 5k during the Tomato Arts Festival, and the Holiday 5k in November. 

More exciting news...I'm noticing more and more changes in my body and the way my clothes fit. A little over a month ago I went on a girls shopping day and bought a new button down shirt, size large. The fit was just okay, the button placket gapped open across my chest a bit, requiring the assistance of a safety pin, and the sleeves were tight when rolled up to 3/4 length, but I knew it would fit soon so I bought it anyways. I am proud to say I wore that shirt again last night and it felt significantly bigger and I had extra ROOM in the sleeves and the chest area! I couldn't stop smiling when I remembered how it felt a month earlier. I've only lost 6lbs since the week I bought that shirt, but the drastic change in fit really tells me that the weight loss IS making a difference, and so is the weight lifting we've been doing. 

My body is slowly but surely rearranging itself into a more "fit" shape, and I'm liking it :)